Lobelia plant named ‘Kirilo-LV63’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Lobelia  plant named ‘Kirilo-LV63’, characterized by its low mounding, outwardly spreading to cascading plant habit; freely branching habit; dense and bushy plant form; continuously and freely flowering habit; dark blue-colored flowers; relatively tolerant to high temperatures; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Lobelia richardsoni×Lobelia erinus.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Kirilo-LV63’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Lobelia, botanically known as Lobelia richardsonii×Lobelia erinus and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Kirilo-LV63’.

The new Lobelia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Tochigi, Japan. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Lobelia cultivars with good vigor and high temperature tolerance.

The new Lobelia originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in March, 2003 of an unnamed selection of Lobelia richardsonii, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unnamed selection of Lobelia erinus, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Lobelia was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant with the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Tochigi, Japan in October, 2003.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings in Tochigi, Japan, has shown that the unique features of this new Lobelia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Kirilo-LV63 have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Kirilo-LV63’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Kirilo-LV63’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Lobelia:

-   -   1. Low mounding, outwardly spreading to cascading plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and bushy plant form.     -   3. Continuously and freely flowering habit.     -   4. Dark blue-colored flowers.     -   5. Relatively tolerant to high temperatures.     -   6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Lobelia differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Lobelia are more vigorous than plants of         the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Lobelia are more mounding than plants of         the female parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Lobelia flower more freely and earlier than         plants of the female parent selection.     -   4. Plants of the new Lobelia had darker blue-colored flowers         than plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Lobelia differ from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Lobelia are larger and more mounding than         plants of the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Lobelia have thinner stems than plants of         the male parent selection.     -   3. Flowers of plants of the new Lobelia are not fragrant whereas         flowers of plants of the male parent selection are fragrant.

Plants of the new Lobelia can be compared to plants of the cultivar Loboudtis, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,526. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Tochigi, Japan, plants of the new Lobelia differed from plants of the cultivar Loboudtis in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Lobelia were larger than plants of the         cultivar Loboudtis.     -   2. Plants of the new Lobelia flowered later than plants of the         cultivar Loboudtis.     -   3. Plants of the new Lobelia were more high temperature tolerant         than plants of the cultivar Loboudtis.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the actual colors of the new Lobelia. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Kirilo-LV63’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for the aforementioned photograph and following description were grown under conditions which closely approximate commercial production conditions during the late spring in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse in Santa Paula, Calif. for about 10 to 13 weeks in 15-cm containers. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 16° to 27° C., night temperatures ranged from 7° to 15° C. and light levels ranged from 5,000 to 7,000 foot-candles. Plants were pinched one time about four weeks after planting.

-   Botanical classification: Lobelia richardsonii×Lobelia erinus     cultivar Kirilo-LV63. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Unnamed selection of Lobelia richardsonii,             not patented.         -   Male parent.—Unnamed selection of Lobelia erinus, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About three days at 23° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About five days at 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 21 days             at 23° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 23 days             at 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Form.—Low mounding, outwardly spreading to cascading plant             habit. Freely branching, about twelve main stems each with             numerous secondary lateral branches; dense and bushy plant             habit; moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 18 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 65 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 34 cm. Diameter:             About 3.5 mm. Internode length: About 1.75 cm. Strength:             Strong. Aspect: Mostly outwardly spreading, curling upwards             towards the apex. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 147A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.         -   Length, basal leaves.—About 5 cm.         -   Length, apical leaves.—About 4.2 cm.         -   Width, basal leaves.—About 2.2 cm.         -   Width, apical leaves.—About 1.5 cm.         -   Shape.—Elliptical.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Serrate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; arcuate.         -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface:             147A; venation, 147B. Developing and fully expanded foliage,             lower surface: 147B; venation, 147B.         -   Petiole length.—About 5 mm.         -   Petiole diameter.—About 4 mm.         -   Petiole texture.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Petiole color.—147B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement/shape.—Flowers arranged singly at lateral             apices. Flowers held mostly outwardly. Flowers persistent.             Flowering continuous; older flowers are overgrown by new             flowers and foliage. Freely flowering habit, about 35             flowers per lateral stem. Flowers not fragrant. Flowers             tubular with three larger lower petals and two upright             petals.         -   Natural flowering season.—Spring until frost in the autumn.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—Longevity of individual             flowers is highly dependent on weather conditions; typically             about one week.         -   Flower size.—Diameter: About 1.7 cm by 1.7 cm. Depth             (height): About 2 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.8 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.             Shape: Obovate. Color: 97D.         -   Petals.—Arrangement: Single whorl of five petals, fused;             three larger lower petals and two smaller upper petals.             Three lower petals: Shape: Rounded. Length, above throat:             About 1 cm. Width: About 6 mm. Two upper petals: Shape:             Elliptical. Length, above throat: About 8 mm. Width: About             2.5 mm. Upper and lower petals: Apex: Rounded to acuminate.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             satiny. Color: When opening, upper and lower surfaces: 97C             to 97D. Fully opened, upper surface: 94A; towards base of             lower petals, irregular white patch, 155D, with small dot,             93B. Fully opened, lower surface: 94C to 94D.         -   Sepals.—Arrangement: Single whorl of five sepals, fused at             the base; star-shaped calyx. Length: About 1 cm. Width:             About 1 mm. Shape: Linear. Apex: Acuminate. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: 147A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2.75 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Angle: About 45° from the stem axis. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: 147A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: About             five. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther color: 201A. Pollen             amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 94D. Pistils: Quantity per             flower: One. Pistil length: About 1.5 cm. Stigma shape:             Two-parted, round. Stigma color: 90B. Style length: About             1.3 cm. Style color: 145B. Ovary color: 146B.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Lobelia have not been     noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Lobelia. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Lobelia have exhibited good     tolerance to rain and wind and have been observed to tolerate     temperatures from about 4° C. to about 28° C. 

1. A new and distinct Lobelia plant named ‘Kirilo-LV63’ as illustrated and described. 